SEATTLE, 2014-12-17 — /EPR Retail News/ — About 2,000 white tea leaf shapes gently rustle as customers walk by. The translucent leaves were hand sewn to light fixtures inside a Teavana store to create vibrant, airy chandeliers which help define the unique space.
This first-of-its-kind Teavana® store at Pacific Place in Seattle elevates the tea experience for those who already appreciate premium tea, and welcomes people who aren’t familiar with full leaf teas. Teavana’s inspired, inviting design will also serve as a canvas for future stores.
“We have imagined the tea experience through our spectacular Pacific Place store,” said Annie Young-Scrivner, president, Teavana. “It is truly a tribute to handcrafted tea beverages, tea education and offers customers unique merchandise for at-home use, gifting and entertainment. We love welcoming customers in to enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience and become familiar with our collections of more than 100 different blends of full leaf tea. The feedback has been extremely positive. We look to expand elements of this format to stores across the country over time.”
Jason Adams, a teaologist who’s been with Teavana for five years, describes Teavana in Pacific Place as a “modern uplift” of the company’s mall stores. For example, the color palate for Teavana’s “Wall of Tea” is more subtle than customers are accustomed to, yet still honors the company’s heritage. Chic blue tones represent oolong teas, copper for Rooibos and gold for herbal teas.
In addition to premium full leaf teas, the store features elegantly designed tea merchandise and accessories showcased in collections appealing to Teavana loyalists and new customers alike.
The most prominent change is a tea bar at the store’s entrance, where tea beverages are handcrafted for customers and samples are offered to shoppers as they stroll toward the attractive space.
“This is a blend of black tea and rich spiced ginger and apple,” said store manager Shane Losey as he handed a cup of Teavana® Gingerbread Tea to a woman browsing for a holiday gift for her sister.
Losey grew up in a family of tea drinkers and said he enjoys talking with someone who might be trying super premium full leaf tea for the first time.
“Education, not only about our brand, but about tea is the best part of my work,” he said. “Now I’m fortunate to be able to do that in a stunning new store.”
Founded in 1997, Teavana joined the Starbucks family two years ago. Earlier this year, Teavana branded beverages – including Teavana® Shaken Iced Tea and Teavana® Oprah Chai Tea – became available in Starbucks® stores. In addition to six Tea Bars, Teavana has 366 retail stores in North America. By comparison, Starbucks had approximately 400 stores in 1994 and now has more than 21,000 stores in 66 countries.
“Tea has been a part of Starbucks since the very beginning, with the original logo reading, Coffee Tea and Spices,” Young-Scrivner added. “Teavana is in its infancy, and the $109 billion tea market is ripe for reinvention and innovation. We are well positioned to take advantage of that growth, reimaging the tea experience in the U.S. and over time around the globe.”
For more information on this news release, contact the Starbucks Newsroom.
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